The recent developments and rapid evolution of telecommunications, for which the control of diverse functions anticipates, for example, moving a cursor precisely and quickly on a screen, makes it necessary to have electromechanical components of increasingly small size and to combine several electrical switching functions within a single component.
It may be desirable to have an electrical switch with multiple switching channels using a single actuating member that can be operated with one finger. Such operations, for example by using the lower face of the thumb of the user who is holding the device in his palm, may be easy and able to be carried out in as many directions as possible, with very good ergonomics and low operating forces (less than 2 newtons).
In addition, such a miniaturized component may provide its user with a tactile sensation reflecting the validity of operations carried out. The tactile sensation transmitted by the switch to the user may be a very important parameter for its performance and ergonomics.
The document filed under Application FR 06/51319 describes a switch of this type, the upper face of its upper panel being divided into several contact areas with each of which the pointing element is able to come into contact, and electrical switching elements associated with the contact areas and the state of which changes when the pointing element comes into contact with the associated contact area.
The switch also includes an element enabling a tactile sensation to be produced that is similar to a “click” of a conventional push-button in returning from a control action carried out by the user on the switch.
According to that document, the switch includes an intermediate plate to cause the change in state of the switching elements which is mounted so as to move relative to the upper panel and relative to the support frame in order to enable a distinct change in state of the switches and of the element producing the tactile sensation.
However, according to that document, the difference in amplitudes between a control action applied to the center of the upper panel and a control action applied to the periphery of the upper panel is relatively large, which may disturb the user who is acting on the switch. In addition, the movements of the upper panel and the plate relative to each other, and relative to the frame, entail a large vertical stroke of the upper panel, which runs counter to a concern for miniaturization.